SMELL

THE POWER OF SCENT ON MEMORY

Some of our most powerful memories, our strongest affiliations with life and love and happiness, are activated by smell. A scent that you connect with an occasion or a moment from the past can instantly transport one to that time. Smells (unlike sounds, sights, or touch) get routed through your olfactory bulb, the smell-analyzing region in your brain that’s closely connected to your amygdala and hippocampus, brain regions that handle memory and emotion. This memory recall is known as “odor-evoked autobiographical memory,” or the Proust phenomenon, after French writer Marcel Proust. In his famous novel In Search of Lost Time, the narrator dips a madeleine cookie into a cup of tea and is transported back into time as long-forgotten memories of his childhood come flooding back.

Each morning, freshly prepared pastries and breads are baked in kitchenettes within Resident Suite areas at 7:00am. We do this to create a warm home-like atmosphere while offering a scent-based sensory “Good Morning!” wake-up call.

CLEAN, ODOR-FREE AIR QUALITY

It’s known that individuals with dementia experience a higher sensitivity to smells, so the scent and quality of the air circulating through The Moments is one of our top priorities. Our Sensory Design team at The Moments conducted extensive research on the subject, looking in to hospitals and other industries for ideas about how to support a higher standard of pure air quality while reducing any unwanted smells often associated with long-term senior living environments. Our very sophisticated air-exchange system is constantly drawing fresh air into The Moments to ensure that our air quality is always clean and odor-free.

Sometimes it’s not about what IS there, but about what ISN’T.

THERAPEUTIC ESSENTIAL OIL INTERVENTION

We recognize and utilize the therapeutic benefits of essential oils as a part of aromatherapy. Scents such as peppermint, lavender and rosemary are well-researched and found to be greatly beneficial in reducing agitation, stimulating appetite and improving alertness. Therapeutic Essential Oil use may include using diffusers, natural lotions, fresh or dried herbs, herbal teas or bath oils in Resident Suites and common areas throughout The Moments.